Vice president of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and Chairman of the Black Stars’ Management Committee, Mark Addo has been defensive of Ghanaian Footballer, Andre Ayew’s inclusion to the Black Stars squad for the upcoming African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.
This was after Black Stars head coach, Chris Hughton named his 25-man squad for this month’s AFCON qualifier against Central African Republic (CAR) in Kumasi.
The unexpected inclusion of Andre Ayew, who has been inactive since March this year, to the squad has caused a mixed reaction among many key stakeholders in the country’s football scene.
However, GFA Vice President has defended the selection of Andre Ayew in the 25-man squad, highlighting his commitment to and experience with the national team.
“He is a phenomenal leader, everybody knows that he fights, he leaves everything on the pitch. He doesn’t go home with an empty gun, he fires every bullet he has. So from that standpoint you know that he is gonna come in and give you a 110% every day. He has been around and he’s seen a lot, so I think he is keypart of the team and the team all rally around him. He is the captain so obviously it is important that we all support him.”
Mark Addo further provided justification over the inclusion of Andre Ayew in the squad with reference to his inactivity.
“I’m not the coach but there has been situations in the past where players who were not affiliated to a club were invited to the national team; there has been instances. If he does get invitation, to me it’s not a big deal,” Mark Addo said.
Ghana needs just a single point in the upcoming fixture in Kumasi against the Central African Republic to guarantee a spot in next year’s AFCON tournament in Ivory Coast.
The Black Stars will then play Liberia in an International friendly five days after the crucial qualifier against Central African Republic. The match is scheduled to come off on Tuesday, September 12, 2023 is scheduled for 4pm kick off at the Accra Sports stadium.
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Story by : Rashad Usman Sinah | univers.ug.edu.gh
